Rhino poachers eaten by lions in South Africa

"Investigators and specialists combed the scene and managed to retrieve remains, which were taken by the Department of Health to conduct forensic testing", South African Police Service Capt. Mali Govender said in a statement. He spoke to the AFP news agency and said that they ran into a pride of lions.

While Fox said they were sad the poachers were killed, "This sends out a very clear message to any other poachers that you will not always be the victor".

"We thought they must have been rhino poachers but the axe confirmed it", Mr Fox said.

Rhino poachers kill rhinos in order to remove their horns and sell them as rhino horns cost as much as gold by weight on the black market.

Fox said he's arranged for the reserve vet to "dart the entire pride of lions" so police, forensics teams and the anti-poaching unit may search the area for clues. Reserve staff did however find high-powered rifles with silencers, wire cutters and an axe.

It is believed that a group of suspected poachers, set out to hunt game animals, were attacked and eaten by a pack of lions in a private game reserve in South Africa last weekend. "We immediately alerted the Indalo (Association of Eastern Cape Game Reserves), Anti-Poaching Cluster and the police".